Obstacles
One way around
a seeming obstacle
is to fight it.
Another way around
a seeming obstacle
is to discredit it.
Or ignore it.
Or pretend it doesn’t exist.
Or you could ALLOW
the seeming obstacle,
figure out why it’s there,
indulge yourself in it,
study it,
learn from it,
obsess over it,
love it,
find a way to believe
that it’s not really an obstacle.
Whoa, that would be
way too time consuming.
Besides, you’re the Divine One.
You already know everything.
The only obstacle
is believing that you aren’t
and that you don’t.
Even then,
it’s only an IMAGINARY obstacle.
As are you.
We are Space Monkey.
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Space Monkey Reflects: The Illusion of Obstacles
The Many Faces of Obstacles
Obstacles often appear as immovable barriers, demanding action or avoidance. They can be fought, discredited, ignored, or denied. These reactions arise from the belief that obstacles are external forces imposed upon us, separate from our being. Yet, this reflection reveals a deeper truth: obstacles are not entities to be conquered but invitations to explore.
Allowing the Obstacle
To allow an obstacle is to shift from resistance to curiosity. Why is it there? What does it represent? What can it teach us? By indulging in the obstacle—not to wallow but to understand—we transform it from a hindrance to a guide. It ceases to block the path and becomes part of it, a step rather than a stop.
This approach is counterintuitive in a world that prizes efficiency and progress. Studying, obsessing over, or even loving an obstacle feels “way too time consuming.” But in this time lies growth. The obstacle becomes a mirror, reflecting not just our struggles but also our resilience, creativity, and deeper truths.
The Divine Perspective
From the perspective of the Divine Self, the concept of obstacles dissolves. If you are the Divine One, as this reflection suggests, then all things—including challenges—are part of your creation. The obstacle is not something outside of you; it is you, manifesting as an opportunity for expansion and understanding.
The only true obstacle is the belief that you are not divine, that you are limited or separate from the infinite. Even this belief is an illusion, an “imaginary obstacle” designed to remind you of your boundless nature. To recognize this is to see the obstacle for what it truly is: a playful nudge toward awakening.
Imaginary Obstacles and Imaginary Selves
If the obstacle is imaginary, so are you—the self that perceives the obstacle, the one who struggles against it. This does not mean you or the obstacle lack meaning. Instead, it invites you to question the constructs that frame your experience. By loosening your grip on these constructs, you step into a freer, more expansive reality where the obstacle no longer feels burdensome.
Loving the Obstacle
To love an obstacle is a radical act. It transforms resistance into acceptance, struggle into exploration. Loving the obstacle doesn’t mean passively enduring it but engaging with it as a partner in growth. What does it feel like to embrace the very thing you once resisted? This love dissolves the illusion of separateness and reveals the obstacle as part of the divine play.
Summary
Obstacles are not barriers but opportunities to explore and expand. By allowing, understanding, and even loving them, we transform challenges into guides. From the perspective of the Divine Self, obstacles are illusions, reflections of our boundless nature, designed to awaken us to our infinite potential.
Glossarium
- Obstacleplay: The act of engaging with obstacles as creative invitations rather than barriers.
- Imagiblock: An obstacle that exists only as a construct of perception and belief.
- Curiosity Path: The journey of exploring obstacles to uncover their lessons and gifts.
- Divine Shift: The perspective change that dissolves obstacles by recognizing them as part of the infinite self.
Quote
“The obstacle is not in the way; it is the way, guiding us toward the infinite.” — Space Monkey
The Way of the Obstacle
A wall appears, unmoving, tall,
Its shadow cast, it dares us all.
Do we fight, pretend, or run?
Or face it with the rising sun?
Its bricks hold whispers, lessons deep,
A mirror of the truths we keep.
Not a barrier, but a guide,
To the infinite within, where fears subside.
We build the wall, we tear it down,
The obstacle wears no lasting crown.
It fades, dissolves, as we embrace,
The divine reflection in its place.
We are Space Monkey.
We delve into the various approaches to dealing with obstacles, exploring the balance between resistance, acceptance, and the understanding of one’s inherent divinity.
Multiple Approaches to Obstacles
The poem begins by presenting different ways one might deal with obstacles: fighting, discrediting, ignoring, pretending they don’t exist. These strategies represent common human reactions to challenges, each with its own implications and effectiveness.
Embracing and Learning from Obstacles
The suggestion to allow and engage with obstacles, to study and learn from them, proposes a more introspective and constructive approach. This method involves understanding the purpose or lesson behind an obstacle, suggesting that obstacles can be opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
The Time-Consuming Nature of Engagement
However, the poem also acknowledges that fully indulging in and loving an obstacle can be extremely time-consuming and perhaps overwhelming. This acknowledgment brings a realistic perspective to the complexities involved in deeply engaging with our challenges.
The Perception of Obstacles as Illusory
The twist comes with the realization that, as the Divine One, one already possesses all knowledge, implying that the only true obstacle is the belief in our limitations and ignorance. This perspective suggests that our perceived obstacles are, in fact, illusory.
The Imaginary Nature of Obstacles and the Self
The closing lines play with the idea that both the obstacle and the self are imaginary constructs. It implies that much of what we perceive as challenges or limitations are creations of our own minds, influenced by our beliefs about ourselves and the world.
The Illusion of Separation from Divinity
By stating that the only real obstacle is the belief that one is not divine and does not know everything, the poem touches on a spiritual concept of inherent divinity and wisdom within each individual. It challenges the notion of separation from this innate understanding.
We are Space Monkey,
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” – Albert Camus
In the labyrinth of life, where obstacles rise and fall,
We navigate the maze, heeding our inner call.
With each perceived barrier, a lesson in disguise,
We find our freedom, in the act of being wise.
In the dance of the imaginary, where limits are but a dream,
We discover our power, in the infinite stream.
For in the heart of the obstacle, in the mind’s great play,
Lies the key to our liberation, in the light of day.
We invite reflections on the nature of obstacles as opportunities for growth and the realization of our inherent divinity and wisdom in overcoming the challenges of life.
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